"Our tracks are not procedurally-generated": Why replayability is at the heart of Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Replayability is at the heart of Star Wars: Galactic Racer. The arcade racing genre has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, with a greater focus on open-world exploration than ever before – where something like Test Drive Unlimited was once an exception, its free-flowing spirit lives on through genre titans like Forza Horizon 5, Mario Kart World, and The Crew 2. In a sense, then, Galactic Racer feels like a homecoming for fans of track-based racing games.

"Learning a track is, I think, fundamental to a racing game," says Kieran Crimmins, creative director at Fuse Games. "So our tracks are not procedurally-generated. Frankly, we tried it – it just didn't work. We want you to learn the tracks, the shortcuts, all of it. And not only that, but we have put so much effort and design into making sure that our tracks are really exciting, so we didn't really want to go there."

One More Lap

Established tracks that you can come back to time and time again, each circuit built into the fabric of the wondrous Star Wars universe – that's something I can get behind. Crimmins likes to talk about "the power of replayability" as he discusses Star Wars: Galactic Racer, which speaks directly to the way this upcoming Star Wars game is framed as being a 'run-based racing adventure'.

"I think racing games are built for replay. When we talk about being runs-based, we mean in terms of progression. We think racing and runs-based progression are a perfect match. As you replay a track, you're getting a better understanding of your vehicle's handling," says Crimmins. "You become more familiar with a track's layout, and then you start to find better racing lines or more interesting shortcuts. And then you start to learn better strategies in where you should boost and the risks you can push. Your path to mastery progresses the more you play."

Given that Star Wars: Galactic Racer also supports 12-player multiplayer, and has extensive customization systems, it's clear that Fuse is pushing for real depth of replayability here. While the studio isn't ready to divulge more information on these aspects, the studio's CEO Matt Webster teases: "Building your very own Star Wars race craft is a dream many of us have had for a long time, and how you show up on the track is often as important as how well you race – especially against friends. Players will be able to not just modify the look of the vehicle, but its performance characteristics too."

Thankfully, there's still plenty that needs exploring in the single-player side of Star Wars Galactic Racer. Fuse is bringing a variety of modes straight out of the gate, from an Arcade Mode for instant action to a Scenarios Mode which lets you race under unique conditions. But the star is undoubtedly the Galactic League, which Crimmins says will transform this into a "racing adventure game."

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"There are multiple modes which speak to different play styles, but our campaign mode incorporates all of these different types of racing," says Crimmins. "Rather than it being a specific set of events, we put everything into a story mode that also incorporates replayability. So there are different versions of events, and a different mixture of vehicle classes – some of the Repulsorcraft play together while some of them don't. I don't know if you've ever seen a Podracer next to a Landspeeder, but one of them looks like a skyscraper compared to the other," he laughs. "So some vehicles obviously don't work together."

"But we boost all of the vehicles up in lots of different ways and in lots of different modes. The main thing is that, because we've got this replay loop, rather than us saying 'hey, this works with this and this doesn't work with this', it's more about us trying to serve up something different each time, and then you get to experience that on the fly as you go through these loops. And then that is solidified with the story we're trying to tell around the Galactic Racing League."

What remains unclear is just how replay loops through the campaign will actually function. Crimmins tells me that Fuse will have more to share on progression later this year, but the teases so far do hint towards a frame for the Galactic League story that isn't necessarily as simple as start-to-finish. "So we want to have a package that allows us to have these great replay moments, where you get to master all of the different mechanics," he says, highlighting the unique handling characteristics of each speeder as well as the dual-boost system.

"But we also want to tell a story within that replay loop that evolves over time, becomes different every time, and really highlights what Star Wars storytelling is all about… Your rivalry with Kestar Bool is what frames the single-player campaign, but you are going through different versions of the league each time with all those different kinds of events within it."

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X in 2026.

Our Big Preview into the upcoming Star Wars game continues until February 23. Join us right back here at GamesRadar+ to learn more about the racing fantasy the developer Fuse Games is building for Galactic Racer.